Malik “Phife Dawg” Taylor, one of the members of A Tribe Called Quest, died at the age of 45 earlier this year. Before he passed away, the hip-hop group recorded a surprise new album, We Got It From Here, Thank You 4 Your Service, although the album wasn’t fully completed by the time of Phife’s death. During their appearance on Saturday Night Live, MCs Q-Tip and Jarobi, as well as producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad, paid tribute to and celebrated their late friend during a performance of “We the People …”, where a Basquiat-esque banner of Phife’s face was lowered during his verse in the song. The group also performed “The Space Program” with the help of Busta Rhymes and frequent Quest collaborator Consequence, but that video has yet to officially surface online. His brilliant lyrics will never be forgotten.
Watch A Tribe Called Quest Perform a Poignant Tribute to Phife Dawg
